A group of boxing equipment formerly in the famous gym on the first floor of the Thomas A'Becket Pub in London's Old Kent Road, comprising a red Title

A group of boxing equipment formerly in the famous gym on the first floor of the Thomas A'Becket Pub in London's Old Kent Road, comprising a red Title punch bag, signed by Sir Henry Cooper, and a red Title speed ball; & two skipping ropes The first floor of the Thomas A Becket in Old Kent Road has a place in boxing legend as the location of the gym used by Sir Henry Cooper. Sir Henry, the former British, European and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, trained at the premises six days a week for 14 years from 1956. The building carries a blue plaque commemorating the link to Sir Henry, who died in 2011 aged 76. Known for the power of his left hook - dubbed 'Enry's 'Ammer - he twice fought Ali. During the first fight in 1963 he knocked the American over, but lost after suffering a severe cut over his eye. US boxing greats Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and Sugar Ray Leonard sparred there when they were preparing for bouts in Britain and would have used some of this equipment, The Bermondsey venue also played a role in Britain's musical heritage: its second floor was used as a rehearsal space for David Bowie's seminal 1972 album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. The building was erected in 1898 but had its pub license evoked by Southwark council in March after a ''serious assault'' in 2015. The contents of the historic gym were then stripped out.